Former Baltimore Colt Jimmy Orr remembers his ace at Augusta National

Less than three miles from the bridge to St. Simons Island, Ga., Jimmy Orr sits in a two-story townhouse surrounded by memorabilia.

Above his couch are miniature football helmets – one from the University of Georgia, the other from the Baltimore Colts.

Next to his television sit a pair of photographs from Super Bowl III, both showing him in the end zone, wide open, waving to quarterback Earl Morrall for a pass that never came.

Then, leaning on a nearby bookshelf is a shadowbox with an Augusta National Golf Club emblem.

Hole-In-One

Scored By

Jimmy Orr

12th Hole - May 2007

Witnessed by

Ed Douglass, Crash Wilcoxon, Ken Bishop

“This right here,” said Orr, pointing to a photo of No. 12 in his shadowbox. “… Ranks up there with my all-time favorite memories. Heck, it might be No. 1.”

To put it mildly, Orr’s list of favorite memories is longer than most.

Like his Super Bowl ring from Baltimore’s win over the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl V.

Or the time he separated his shoulder in 1965 against the Philadelphia Eagles and was taken to the emergency room of Baltimore’s Union Memorial Hospital. Long before the days of having medical rooms inside stadiums, Orr arrived at the ER with two trainers “and the line was out the door.”

“There were 17 people and two were on stretchers,” Orr said. “Luckily, they had the football game on the radio, and when someone recognized me, they pushed me to the front.”

Orr was driven back to Memorial Stadium with minutes left in the fourth quarter.

“I ran through the Orioles dugout, through the end zone and straight down the middle of the field,” Orr said. “The Colts fans were roaring.”

After Coach Don Shula waved Orr to go directly to the huddle, the wideout told Johnny Unitas, “Just throw me the corner pattern.”

Two plays later, Unitas connected with Orr for a 22-yard score.

Or the time during a trip to Las Vegas when Orr heard Elvis Presley was performing at a casino. Orr, an Elvis fan, repeatedly asked a casino official if he could meet the musician. Each time, the man said no, until Orr finally said, “Sir, I’m not asking you if I can meet Elvis, I’m asking you to ask Elvis if I can meet Elvis.”

Turns out, Elvis was an Orr admirer.

“He couldn’t have been nicer,” Orr said.

Still, his hole-in-one at Augusta National is near the top of his most cherished memories.

Looking back on the shot, Orr says the pin was positioned in the front-left corner and conditions were nearly perfect.

“I knew I hit a good shot, but had no clue it went in,” Orr said. “Then, I looked over and saw the faces of Crash (Wilcoxon) and (Ken) Bishop. … That’s when I knew.”

Orr never broke 80 at Augusta National but says the hole-in-one made up for his countless bogeys.

“It’s the best Par 3 in the world,” Orr said. “I wouldn’t trade that shot for anything.”